kissing the epitome
by Stormjade
Summary: one-shot. Gamagoori doesn't know how to handle something as unexpected as this.


**the sort of prologue is "the epitome", but either one can be read as a stand-alone.**

**this takes place right after the scene in episode 1 where Satsuki learns Ryuko's name.**

* * *

Having concluded their meeting, Satsuki's eyes turned to rest on Sanageyama.

"Get that scumbag out of here. He gets one more chance to prove himself worthy."

She motioned to the kneeling boxing champion.

"Th-thank you so much, Satsuki-sama! I promise not to let you down!" the bleeding Fukuroda gazed upon his leader, relieved at his new chance to redeem himself.

Sanageyama roughly shoved the short man out the door, grumbling something about incompetent subordinates.

There was a soft click as Inumuta shut his laptop closed on the other side of the room. He stood up and his furred collar shuttered open.

"Satsuki-sama, I have a committee meeting to oversee. I shall take my leave."

Jakuzure bounded out of her chair, making her way over to Inumuta.

"I'm going to join him, Satsuki-sama!"

They both bowed in respect before exiting, shoulders brushing together.

Ira surveyed the room with scowling eyes. Two One-Star Uniforms were cleaning up the wood splinters where Fukuroda had knelt. Another One-Star sat at the piano, and Satsuki-sama's spindly butler stood off to the side. Meeting his lady's eyes, he opened his mouth to speak.

"If there's nothing else, I'll-"  
"Actually, I wish to talk with you."

Her blue eyes swiveled across the room under her neat bangs.

"Privately."

The One-Stars immediately bowed and filed out of the room, and after refilling his lady's cup one last time, the butler disappeared through the door. A seed of worry planted itself in Ira's mind.

_Have I done something to displease milady? Does she blame me for letting her get mocked?_

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously, but his frowning expression did not change. Satsuki sipped her tea leisurely. After what seemed like an eternity, she set her tea down and looked at him in his eyes. A silence blanketed the room.

"You've done well, Gamagori."  
"Thank you, Satsuki-sama."

She motioned for him to come closer. He strode up the steps to her throne-like chair and crouched on one knee, placing a hand over his chest in respect. Ira bowed his head, making sure that he was not taller than the stately woman.

His breath hitched when he heard her heels clack against the floor. She quickly closed the distance between them and came to a stop in front of the blond. He quelled the urge to look up at her.

Ira suppressed a shiver when he felt his lady's small, pale hand rest on his impossibly expansive fingers. Her other hand caressed his jaw, turning his gaze to her.

Too intimidated and confused to say a word, Ira just looked into the dark eyes he'd come to love and revere so much.

Her features had never been anything but beautiful to him. Up close, she was even prettier. Her other hand traveled up to his neck, and slowly, slowly, she leaned forward and closed her eyes.

Their lips met.

It made his heart race, and his brain turned into mush, and her lips were so, _so_ painfully soft.

The kiss lasted for a few moments before their lips parted with an almost inaudible _pop_. He felt like screaming. The subdued emotions of confusion, of excitement, of love, were bubbling inside of him, ready to boil over. He wasn't the type to keep his feelings bottled up like this. He felt his legs trembling under him and his heart was jumping inside of his huge chest.

Ira finally muster enough strength to whisper a strained "_why?_"

She smiled. He thought it was both menacing and alluring at the same time.

"You deserve it."

She turned, strutting away from the shocked man. His finger stretched out his collar nervously, trying to cool the fiery blush that had erupted on his skin. He didn't know what to say, or what to think, or even how to breathe.

The fireworks that had burst in his head when he felt her kiss replayed over and over. She had already sat down in her chair and was bringing the cup to her lips—_oh god her lips_—when he stood up slowly, afraid he might trip.

Bowing awkwardly again, he power-walked out of the room without another word. Once he was out the door, he ran as fast as he could, channeling his nervousness into the motion of pumping his legs up and down to get far, far away from the place.

Satsuki's cup clicked softly against the table as her fingers unfurled around the handle.

Her fingers ran across her pale lips.

Her pale lips curled into a smile.


End file.
